Umbrella Chronicles Was Like RE4

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Capcom later changed it to an on-rails shooter, the dev says.

By Matt Casamassina

The on-rails Wii shooter Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles is set to tell the full, sprawling story of the survival horror series, bridging the gaps between RE remake, RE0, RE1, RE2 and RE3. What fans may not realize, however, is that the game was originally set to look and play like Resident Evil 4. Only after Capcom took a look at Nintendo's new hardware did it decide to mix up the formula.

"At the initial stage of development, Umbrella Chronicles' play system was similar to Resident Evil 4's," producer Masachika Kawata told Famitsu in a video interview. "But, it's extremely difficult on Wii. Too complicated to enjoy. Wii users like easiness. Umbrella Chronicles is not only for game enthusiasts. Complex operability can be an obstacle for Wii users. We want players to enjoy the game's horrifying and creepy world and its thrilling shooting action. By reducing enthusiast-only elements, players can purely enjoy the world."

To achieve this goal, Kawata admits that Capcom "&#Array; had to compromise to a lower difficulty level."

In addition to taking players through RE remake, RE0, RE1, RE2, and RE3, the game will also chronicle the downfall of the Umbrella Corporation. According to Capcom, all new missions have been designed to tell the tale. "New episodes between RE3 and RE4 are revealed in Umbrella Chronicles," according to the development studio.